1960S "IN-ACTION": 1961 HANK AARON

Up on the blog today, my 1961 "In-Action" card for "Hammerin' Hank Aaron", from my recent custom "1960s In-Action" Series 2 set released a couple months back:

Love this image of Aaron at the plate, and it was fun to create a unique 1961-based template to place it into for the set!

As I've stated so many times on this blog, the man was simply out of this world...

Let his numbers do all the talking: 2174 runs scored, 3771 hits, 624 doubles, 98 triples, 755 home runs, 2297 runs batted in, a .305 batting average no less than 21 all-star selections!
Just tremendous!
He also had eight top-5 finishes for MVP, including taking home the award in 1957, as well as three Gold Gloves won consecutively between 1958-1960.
It's incredible to look at his 15 years of topping 100 or more runs scored, 11 seasons of 100 or more runs batted in, five more seasons of 90+ RBI's, and TWENTY STRAIGHT years of 20 or more home runs.

How can he be underrated, yet celebrated so much? Yet it seems to be true.

Just incredible.

"Oh Henry!"

OPC IMAGE VARIATION: 1977 PETE MACKANIN

Good day all!

On the blog today we take a closer look at former Montreal Expo infielder Pete Mackanin and his 1977 image variations between OPC and Topps:

OPC version

Topps version

 

While OPC went with a clear posed photo for their card, the Topps version had this shadowy image of Mackanin out in the Sunshine.

Nothing Earth-shattering by any means, but again, questionable image pick for the fine folks at Topps!

Mackanin put in nine years in the Majors, between 1973 when he came up with the Texas Rangers and 1981 when he wrapped up his Big League tenure as a member of the Minnesota Twins.

In between he hit .226 over that time, collecting 355 hits over 1570 at-bats in 548 games, with his finest year 1980 when he hit .266 for the Twins, with 31 runs scored and 35 runs batted in.

A versatile player out in the field, he would see time at both corner outfield spots and all four infield positions during his career.

He would also put in time as a Major League manager in parts of five seasons: 2005 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, 2007 with the Cincinnati Reds, and 2015 through 2017 as skipper of the Philadelphia Phillies.

MISSING ALL-STAR MANAGER: 1970 MAYO SMITH

On the blog today, a "missing" 1970 All-Star manager card, even though Topps didn't have base-card All-Star designations, but I did a while back, so I added to that thread with such a card for former Detroit Tigers skipper Mayo Smith, who led the A.L. in the 1969 game:

Thanks to his World Championship season of 1968 at the helm of the Detroit Tigers, Smith was the manager for the A.L. in the 1969 "Midsummer Classic", a game that saw the National League prevail 9-3.

The Tigers marched to a championship with a memorable 1968 year that saw them win 103 games before stunning the reigning champion St. Louis Cardinals and taking home the title.

Smith was manager of the Tigers from 1967 to 1970, posting three 90+ win seasons and two second place finishes in addition to the first place finish of 1968.

His other managerial jobs were as skipper of the Philadelphia Phillies between 1955 and 1958, and a part of the 1959 season with the Cincinnati reds in 1959, with his greatest success in those tenures two .500 seasons with Philly when he finished 77-77 in both 1955 and 1957.

As a player, he put in only 73 games during the 1945 season with the Philadelphia Athletics as an outfielder, hitting .212 with 18 runs scored and 11 runs batted in.

 

1960S ALL-DECADE TEAM: A.L. THIRD BASEMAN BROOKS ROBINSON

Today's blog post has my pick (as well as I'm assuming everyone else's pick) for the American League third baseman of the 1960s, Baltimore Orioles legend Brooks Robinson:

I mean, as if there would be any other selection for the position!

In 1958 he’d play his first full season in the Big Leagues, and it was all cruise control from there, as the great third baseman would go on to grab 16 Gold Gloves, an MVP Award in 1964, appear in 15 All-Star games, and help guide the Baltimore Orioles to two Championships and four A.L. Pennants.
By the time he hung up that golden glove after the 1977 season, he finished with 2848 hits, 1357 runs batted in, 268 home runs and 1232 runs scored in 2896 games.
Needless to say, by the time Cooperstown came calling, he was voted in on his first try, receiving 92% support in 1983.

The man set the standard for superstar third basemen, at the plate and with his glove, a standard they still use to this day, some 50 years after his retirement.

WTHBALLS GUM PACK CUSTOM SET: CARL YASTRZEMSKI

Today on the blog, we have my mini custom card for Boston Red Sox legend Carl yastrzemski, from my "Gum Pack" custom set released a few months back:

Really fun set to create!

The man was at his height at the time this card would have seen the light of day in the mid to late 1970s, already a three-time batting champion, Triple Crown winner in 1967, and five-time Gold Glove winner.

As someone who grew up in New York City during the second half of his career, it's really easy to forget that Yastrzemski was a Long Island, New York boy before he went on to become a New England legend.

And how could he NOT become a legend, what with 23 years of Major League ball, all with the Red Sox, turning in three batting titles, a Triple Crown in 1967 along with an MVP Award, seven Gold Gloves, 18 all-star nods, and 25 league-leads in primary offensive categories.

By the time he did the retirement tour in 1983, he scored 1816 runs, collected 3419 hits, 646 doubles, 452 homers, 1844 runs batted in along with a .285 batting average.

He was just plain awesome…

1970 "IN-GAME ACTION": LUIS APARICIO

On the blog today, a card I created a while back that I never profiled here on the blog to my surprise, my 1970 "In-Game Action" card for "Little Louie" Aparicio, from me Series 2 set released a couple years back:

Just a nice action shot of the perennial All-Star shortstop, who was well on his way to a Hall of Fame selection when it was all said and done.

From the moment he made it to the Majors in 1956 with the Chicago White Sox, Aparicio was a star.

He took home the A.L. Rookie of the Year that season, and proceeded to be an all-star player for most of his 18-year career.

Between 1956 and 1964, nine consecutive years, he led the American League in stolen bases every single season!

As a member of the "Go-Go" 1959 Chicago White Sox he finished second to teammate Nellie Fox for Most Valuable Player, and he'd go on to win nine Gold Glove Awards before hanging up the spikes.

All told he suited up for the White Sox, Baltimore Orioles, and Boston Red Sox for the final three years of his illustrious career.

By the time he retired the numbers were solid: 2677 hits, 1335 runs scored, 506 stolen bases and over 10000 at-bats!

It took a few years on the ballot, but he was finally inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984.

REVISITING A 10-YEAR-OLD POST: MISSING 1971 TONY HORTON

Up on the blog today, time to revisit a 10-year-old post, this one my "missing" 1971 card for slugger Tony Horton, a bit of an enigma both to his missing Topps cards and to his issues with mental health:

Here's the original write-up I had here way back when:

" Yesterday I presented my design for the "missing" 1970 Topps card for Indians player Tony Horton, explaining that he never had an "official" Topps card in his seven-year career.

Today I present what would have been his last card after his sudden and sad retirement from the game during the 1970 season.

I still don't know why Topps never produced a card for the young slugger, but it makes the Tony Horton story that much more mysterious and begs a few more answers to some tough questions.

For the 1970 season, Horton was hitting .269 with 17 homers and 59 runs batted in by August, certainly good numbers for that era.

But as I stated yesterday, Horton was battling serious issues and walked away from the game, literally, during a doubleheader, leading to a suicide attempt that very night.

Luckily for him, he sought treatment and was helped with his problems.

However he never did return to professional ball, and went on to live a private life, refusing to talk to media post-retirement.

If anyone knows why Topps never had Horton under contract I'd love to hear it. Was it Horton's decision? Was it Topps?"

"CLASSIC BASEBALL" CUSTOM WTHBALLS SET: ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Up on the blog today, a spotlight on my "Classic Baseball" custom card for "The Great One", Roberto Clemente, all-time great and true hero in a time when the term gets thrown around a bit too freely:

On the field Clemente's numbers were incredible: four batting titles, five seasons batting over .340, four 200 hit seasons, 12 all-star nods, 12 Gold Gloves and a Most Valuable Player Award in 1966.

And a prime example of Clemente's importance to the game was his immediate induction into Cooperstown by special committee in 1973, waiving the standard five-year wait before a player joins the Hall ballot, as well as the establishment of the "Roberto Clemente Award", given every year to the player that exemplified "outstanding baseball playing skills who is personally involved in community work."

The man was truly something else, and I'm not even thinking of his baseball prowess.

Just special...

As we all know, after the 1972 season, a season which saw him attain his 3000th career hit on the last at-bat of the regular season, Clemente was was killed on December 31, when the plane he was a passenger on crashed on it's way to deliver relief packages to victims of a massive earthquake in Managua, Nicaragua.

A tragic end to one of the game's greatest players of the post-war era.

It's even more tragic when you read that the only reason Clemente was on the plane in the first place was to ensure the supplies would reach their intended target, since the previous three planes full of supplies were diverted by corrupt politicians.

MISSING IN ACTION: 1975 RUSTY TORRES

Good day folks.

On the blog today we have a missing 1975 card for Rusty Torres, who appeared in 109 games for the Cleveland Indians during the 1974 season yet was left out of the 1975 set by Topps:

Torres hit .187 over 150 at-bats that year, collecting 28 hits with 19 runs scored and 12 runs batted in for the Tribe, playing all three outfield positions while also putting in some time as a designated hitter.

His career began in 1971 as a member of the New York Yankees, for whom he played parts of two seasons before heading to Cleveland as part of the trade that got the Yanks Graig Nettles in November of 1972.

He'd spend all of 1975 in the Minors before making it back to the Big Leagues in 1976, now a member of the California Angels, where he'd play in 1976 and 1977, before putting in two years with the Chicago White Sox, and one final year as a Kansas City Royal in 1980.

All told, he'd hit .212 over 655 career games between 1971 and 1980, scoring 159 runs and driving in 126, with 35 homers, finishing his pro career with one season in the Mexican League in 1982 for Monterrey.

Sadly, his life outside of baseball was marked with serious criminal charges, including sexual abuse of a minor in 2012, for which he was sentenced to three years in prison.

1960S ALL-DECADE TEAM: N.L. THIRD BASEMAN RON SANTO

Up on the blog today, my pick for the National League's top third baseman of the 1960s, and I went with Chicago Cubs legend Ron Santo:

Ron Santo was no slouch at the hot corner: nine All-Star games, five Gold Gloves, 342 lifetime homers and 1331 runs batted in in a somewhat short 15-year career, mainly for the North Side Chicago Cubs (he played his last year for the South Side Chicago White Sox) in 1974.

Just take a look at his career, and see the solid numbers year after year, about as consistent a player you could ever ask for.

Between 1963 and 1973 Santo was selected for nine All-Star games, received five Gold Gloves for his defensive work, and four-time finished Top-10 in the National League MVP race, with a high of fourth in 1967.
Post-playing career, Santo moved on to broadcasting, where he was a beloved color commentator over the years, working with guys like Harry Caray, Thom Brennaman and Steve Stone.

He was about as beloved a Cub as there ever was, and finally made it into the Hall of Fame in 2012 as a Veteran's Committee selection, even though tragically it was two years after he passed away.

MINOR LEAGUE DAYS: LEGENDS EDITION- CHARLIE GEHRINGER

Today on the blog we add the "Mechanical man" Charlie Gehringer, one of the most overlooked all-time greats of the game, to my "Minor League Days: Legends Edition" thread:

I have him shown here as a member of his first minor league team, the London Tecumsehs, for whom he suited up in 1924 at the age of 21.

During his time there he hit .292 before a late-season call-up to the Majors for a five-game stint where he hit a blistering .462 with six hits in 13 at-bats.

The following year he began the season with Toronto in the International league, where all he did was collect over 200 hits while on his way to a .325 average before yet another Big League call-up, the last of its kind since he was a Major leaguer for good from here on out.

Gehringer would go on to one of the greatest careers an infielder would have in the Major Leagues, all with the Detroit Tigers, where he would take home the MVP Award in 1937, with another nine top-10 MVP finishes thrown in.

Along the way the man collected seven seasons of 200+ hits, seven 100+ RBI campaigns, 12 100+ runs scored, seven 40+ doubles with a high of 60 in 1936, while making the first six All-Star games between 1933 and 1938.

By the time he retired after the 1942 season, he racked up 2839 hits and a .320 average over 2323 games, with 1775 runs scored and 1427 RBIs, walking 1186 times with only 372 strikeouts!

Remember, this guy was a second baseman!

It is criminal how overlooked he is when the discussion for greatest second baseman of all-time comes up.

WTHBALLS GUM PACK CUSTOM SET: HANK AARON

On the blog today, we spotlight my Hank Aaron mini card from my recent custom "Gum Pack" special set:

 

 

Again, just a fun little card to create and print up for fun, celebrating the game I love so much from the era that got me started down this path.

The man was simply out of this world...

Let his numbers do all the talking: 2174 runs scored, 3771 hits, 624 doubles, 98 triples, 755 home runs, 2297 runs batted in, a .305 batting average no less than 21 all-star selections!
Just tremendous!
He also had eight top-5 finishes for MVP, including taking home the award in 1957, as well as three Gold Gloves won consecutively between 1958-1960.
It's incredible to look at his 15 years of topping 100 or more runs scored, 11 seasons of 100 or more runs batted in, five more seasons of 90+ RBI's, and TWENTY STRAIGHT years of 20 or more home runs.

How can he be underrated, yet celebrated so much? Yet it seems to be true.

Just incredible.

"Oh Henry!"

 

"CLASSIC BASEBALL" CUSTOM WTHBALLS SET: DON NEWCOMBE

Today we go and add the very first recipient of the Cy Young Award, Brooklyn Dodgers ace Don Newcombe, to my custom "Classic Baseball" set:

Just a beautiful photo of the original Black Ace, the first African-American 20-game winner in either the American or National Leagues, when he first turned in 20 wins in 1951.

The N.L. Rookie of the Year in 1949 when he posted 17 wins for the Dodgers, he followed that up with 19 wins in 1950 before the first of his three 20-win seasons the following year.

Sadly for him, he would spend the next two years in the military, losing two peak seasons to serving his country before coming back in 1954 when he would go 9-8 over 29 games.

In 1955 he'd be in the 20-win circle once again, helping the Dodgers win the World Series as he would go 20-5 and finishing seventh in the MVP race, the last year without an Award dedicated to pitchers.

And then came 1956...

For Don Newcombe, 1956 was a magical year. He was a monster on the mound, going 27-7 with a 3.06 earned run average and five shutouts and leading the Dodgers to another face-off with the New York Yankees in the World Series.

Not only did that get him the very first Cy Young Award, but it also bagged him a Most Valuable Player Award, thus making him the answer to a clever trivia question: who was the only pitcher to win a Rookie of the Year, Cy Young and M.V.P.? (He would be joined in this by Detroit Tiger pitcher Justin Verlander in 2011).

Sadly for him however, it would be the peak, followed by a quick decline at only 31 years of age, winning 11 games in 1957 before managing just 26 wins over the last three years of his career, which came to a close in 1960 after a split year between the Cincinnati reds and Cleveland Indians.

All told, the man won the aforementioned awards while posting 153 wins against just 96 losses, good for a very nice .614 winning percentage, with a 3.57 earned run average and 24 shutouts over 360 games.

 

OPC IMAGE VARIATION: 1977 DON GULLETT

Good day my friends!

On the blog today, we take a gander at the image variation between OPC and Topps 1977 cards for pitcher Don Gullett:

OPC version

Topps version

Different takes on the same theme here to be honest.

Both companies worked quickly to get the ace pitcher into a New York Yankees uniform, for whom he was about to suit up for in 1977 after being an integral part of the "Big Red Machine" Cincinnati Reds, bringing home two straight World Championships in 1975 and 1976.

Though hampered by injuries, Gullet would then be a member of another back-to-back championship squad, the "Bronx Zoo" Yankees who won it all in both 1977 and 1978.

The man was a champion four straight seasons between 1975 and 1978!

Sadly, arm troubles cut his career short by the age of 27, though he ended up with an incredible .686 winning percentage, going 109-50 over nine seasons, with an ERA of 3.11 over 266 appearances, 186 of those starts, with 14 shutouts.

Of his nine MLB seasons, he was part of SIX World Series teams!

Would have been something to see him pitch into the 1980's if not for health issues...

1960S "IN-ACTION": 1960 WHITEY FORD

Up on the blog today, another of my "1960s In-Action" cards from my Series 2 custom set just released, this one a 1960 card of New York Yankees legend Whitey Ford:

Just a fun card to create and print up for the "Chairman of the Board", showing him most likely on his way to another victory based off his stellar .690 lifetime winning percentage.

What else needs to be said about quite possibly the greatest Yankee pitcher of all?

Cy Young winner in 1961, winner of 236 games against only 106 losses (a nifty .690 winning percentage), a 2.75 career earned run average, and a member of six world championship clubs.

He led the league in wins three times, winning percentage three times, ERA twice, shutouts twice, and was named to eight all-star teams during his 16-year career.

His 10 World Series wins (along with his eight losses) are Major League high marks to this day, and who knows how much more he could have padded all of his numbers had he not lost two seasons to the military in 1951 and 1952!

When the Hall of Fame came calling he was inducted on his first try, getting named to 284 of 365 ballots in 1974.

Obviously there's so much more to get into with Whitey, but I could end up writing a book here if I did, so I'll leave it up to the Wikipedia's out there to fill anyone in who wants to learn more.

I only wish Ford didn't try to hang on those last couple of years in 1966 and 1967, when he went a combined 4-9, thus eliminating the chance of him being only the second pitcher to this day to retire with 200+ wins and LESS than 100 losses (the other being 19th-century pitcher Bob Caruthers, who finished at 218-99 between 1884-1893).

Oh well, I know I'm nitpicking here…It's the nerd in me I guess.

1969 "DO-OVER" CUSTOM SET: JIM KAAT

Good day all!

On the blog today, my do-over for Hall of Famer Jim Kaat and his 1969 card, from my custom "1969 Gimmie A Do-Over" set released towards the end of last year:

While Topps reused an image for Kaat on their 1969 card, I went ahead and found another one to give it a bit of a refresh.

Kaat came up to the Majors as a 20-year-old in 1959 with the Washington Senators, developing into an All-Star starter when the organization moved to Minnesota and became the Twins.
If there were a Cy Young winner for both leagues in place for the 1965 season, he most likely would have taken home the trophy when he posted a league-leading 25 wins to go along with a 2.75 ERA and 205 strikeouts for the American League champs.
After being selected off waivers by the Chicago White Sox in 1973, he’d go on to post two straight 20-win seasons in 1974 and 1975, before moving on to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1976.
In 1979, at the age of 40, he’d transition to the bullpen, where he would carve out a niche for himself as a reliable reliever, pitching another five seasons, finishing up with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1983, fresh off a World Championship in 1982.
One of the greatest fielding pitchers the game has ever seen, Kaat took home 16 straight Gold Glove Awards between 1962 and 1977. Incredible.
By the time he retired as a player, he appeared in 898 games, posted a record of 283-237 along with a 3.45 ERA and 2461 strikeouts, as well as 31 shutouts and 17 saves.
The man is a walking baseball resource who still shares his knowledge of the game. His time as a New York Yankees announcer was one of my favorites alongside other former players like Ken Singleton and Bill White.

1960S ALL-DECADE TEAM: A.L. SHORTSTOP LUIS APARICIO

Time for our next player to be named to my 1960s All-Decade All-Star team, with today's entry the American League shortstop of the 1960s, and I chose Luis Aparicio:

Now, this pick was NOT as easy as many would think, as I was seriously considering Loa Angeles Angels shortstop Jim Fregosi for the honor.

But when it came down to it, I went with "Little Louie".

Aparicio had a fine decade in the 1960s, pacing the American League in stolen bases with five crowns from 1960-1964, winning a World Series with the Orioles in 1966, being named to five all-star teams, and winning six Gold Gloves.

All in all I just feel he was a lot more solid overall than Fregosi, who had a nice run of offensive seasons from the mid-60's to 1969.

Aparicio even had six years during the decade where he got some M.V.P. attention, with a peak finish of ninth in that championship 1966 season at Baltimore.

Not too shabby for a man who would go on to be selected for the Hall of Fame, an honor worthy of the perennial All-Star.

"CLASSIC BASEBALL" CUSTOM WTHBALLS SET: NELLIE FOX

The next baseball legend to get a card in my future custom "Classic Baseball" set is Hall of Fame second baseman Nellie Fox, shown here at the end of his career when he was a member of the Houston Astros (or Colt .45's):

Fox put together a brilliant Major League career, first as a Hall of Fame second baseman mainly for the Chicago White Sox, then as a coach later on, a true baseball life before sadly passing away at the young age of 47 in 1975.
He led the AL in hits four times in the 1950’s, and of course would lead the Chicago White Sox to the 1959 World Series, taking home the league’s MVP Award for his efforts.
By the time he retired as a player after two years with the Houston Astros in 1964-65, he finished with 2663 hits and a .288 batting average, with twelve all-star nods and three Gold Gloves.
Defensively, it’s incredible to see he led the American League in putouts every single season between 1952 and 1961, while leading the league’s second basemen in fielding percentage six times, double-plays five times and assists six times.
In 1997, the Veteran’s Committee selected Fox for the Hall of Fame, joining former teammates Luis Aparicio and Early Wynn from that 1959 pennant winning team.

 

1960s "IN-ACTION" SERIES 2 AVAILABLE NOW!

Hello Everyone!

I am happy to announce the next WTHBALLS custom set: 1960s In-Action Stars: Series 2"" set, an 11-card set featuring 1960s cards with action photography, imagining if Topps would have issued such action gems before the 1971 set, following on the heels of my Series 1 set from a few months back:

As with the first series in this sub-set, this set has one Topps In-Action card from each year of the 1960s, plus a bonus 1963 Fleer In-Action card, this time featuring Hall of Famer Robin Roberts.

This set is packed with superstars: Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Carl Yastrzemski and more!

Sets are $12 each plus a one-time $4.50 shipping charge, no matter how many sets you purchase.

Usual Paypal address: slogun23@gmail.com

Again, thank you all so much for the interest and support!

 

WTHBALLS GUM PACK CUSTOM SET: THURMAN MUNSON

On the blog today, we spotlight my Thurman Munson mini-card, from my custom "Gum Pack" special set released a few months back, showcasing 25 of the legends that played the game during the 1970s:

Just a fun little set that included some of my all-time favorite players, like the Yankee captain himself.

I guess you can say the future Yankee dynasty of the late 1970's started right here with this guy when he came up and won the American League Rookie of the Year in 1970.

Soon after he was joined by the likes of Graig Nettles, Sparky Lyle, Ron Guidry and Willie Randolph, on their way to back-to-back titles as well as an American League pennant in 1976.

Not only did he take home the Rookie of the Year in 1970, but he'd go on to win the Most Valuable Player award six years later, to go along with seven all-star berths as well as three Gold Gloves.

For three consecutive seasons he drove in 100+ runs with LESS than 20 homers, topping out at 18 in 1977, while hitting over .300 each and every time.

I particularly love his M.V.P. year, where he had 665 plate appearances yet only struck out 38 times while collecting 186 hits over 616 at-bats. Pretty amazing stuff. He even stole 14 bases as well!

What an age for catchers huh? You had Munson, Carlton Fisk, Gary Carter, Johnny Bench and Ted Simmons all putting in all-star seasons after all-star seasons.

Sadly we all know how Munson's story played out. I remember that day like it was yesterday and will never forget it.

REVISITING A 10-YEAR OLD POST: 1977 "MISSING" AL DOWNING CARD

 

On the blog today, we revisit a blog post that originally "aired" here on June 8th, 2014, my "missing" 1977 card for former "Black Ace" Al Downing:

Here's the original write-up I had for the card way back when:

"Quick-who was the last New York Yankee pitcher to lead the league in strikeouts?

If you guessed today's profiled player, Al Downing, good for you!

Believe it or not, Downing was indeed the last Yankee strikeout leader, way back in 1964 when he led the American League in K's with 217 at the nice young age of 23.

The sky was the limit with Downing then, along with the Yankees' other young guns Jim Bouton and Mel Stottlemyre.

Sadly, as it usually does in professional sports, the best laid plans never seem to work out, as Bouton wore out his welcome, and his arm, in a few short years, while Downing followed with arm troubles by the 1968 season, still only 27.

After finding himself in Oakland and Milwaukee in 1970, he moved on to the Los Angeles Dodgers and had a remarkable comeback year, going 20-9 with a 2.68 earned run average and a league-leading five shutouts.

Those numbers got him a third place finish in Cy Young voting, and some M.V.P. consideration as well.

But after a decent 1972 season where he sported a 9-9 record with a sub-3.00 E.R.A., he could never again stay healthy enough for a full year.

He'd pitch in no more than 22 games in any one season before hanging them up after twelve games in 1977.

Now, it's definitely arguable, but I think he should have had a card in Topps' 1977 set after appearing in 17 games, good for 46.2 innings and a 1-2 record in 1976.

Lord knows there were guys in that set that had much less of a distinguished resume, yet Downing was finishing up his 16th year on the mound, with a very nice 3.22 E.R.A., 123 wins and over 1600 strikeouts.

So allow me to "fix" that here with my own 1977 Al Downing card, using a decent action shot of him during the same period.

One more thing: take a look at his rookie year in 1963.

It was actually quite an underrated freshman year!

All he did was go 13-5 with a 2.56 earned run average, as well as four shutouts and 171 K's. Throw in a league-leading 5.8 hits-allowed-per-nine-innings and 8.8 strikeouts-per-nine-innings, it seems probable that if it wasn't for another great rookie pitcher, Gary Peters of the Chicago White Sox, Downing could very well have taken home the award himself."

MISSING ALL-STAR MANAGER: 1979 TOMMY LASORDA

Time to go and create a "missing" 1979 National league All-Star manager card for the skipper who led the Senior League to another Midsummer classic win over the American League in 1978, Los Angeles Dodgers skipper Tommy Lasorda:

Lasorda was given the honor of course because of his pennant winning season of 1977, when he guided the Dodgers to the World Series where they would lose to the New York Yankees.

It was the first Series appearance as manager for Lasorda, something he would repeat the following season, as well as 1981 and 1988, the latter two years bringing the City of Angels World Championships.

Though he skippered the Dodgers for four games in 1976, the 1977 season was the first full year at the helm of the team, and it would lead to an incredible 21 year run that saw him win two championships (1981 and 1988), with two other pennants thrown in (1977 and 1978).

Between 1976 and 1996, Lasorda led the Dodgers to 1599 wins and a .526 winning percentage, while becoming an icon in the baseball and cultural realm.

Funny enough, Lasorda would guide the Dodgers to 98 wins in his first full season as manager, and that would be the high-mark in a season for wins during his tenure.

However, he would lead the team to seven different seasons of 90+ wins, as well as seven first place finishes in the National League West.

He grew to be a legend in Los Angeles, and growing up as a kid loving baseball in the 70's and 80's his legendary status made its way East to Brooklyn, New York with my friends and I in our Italian neighborhood!

 

OPC IMAGE VARIATIONS: 1977 DAVE COLLINS (AT LEAST ON THE OPC CARD!)

Today on the blog we take a look at another OPC & Topps image variation, this time the 1977 cards for former speedster Dave Collins, or at least what was SUPPOSED to be him in the context of the Topps card:

OPC version

Topps version

Now the reason I say what I said regarding the Topps card is because it doesn't show Collins at all, but actually Bobby Jones, something Topps never bothered to fix later on.

Over on the OPC card, it was indeed the young Collins shown on the card, albeit with a comically airbrushed cap with the Seattle Mariners' logo.

Collins played his first two seasons of Big League ball with the California Angels, stealing 52 bases combined in a part-time roll, giving us a preview of what was to lie ahead.
He would go on to play 16 years in the Major Leagues, stealing as many as 79 bases in 1980 while with the Cincinnati Reds, while also stealing 60 in 1984 when he was playing for the Toronto Blue Jays, a season where he also led the league in triples with 15.
I’ll always remember him for his disappointing year with the New York Yankees in 1982, a year that was a failure for the organization in so many ways actually.
Nevertheless, Collins would finish his career with 395 steals, while also batting a very nice .272 with 1335 hits over 4907 at-bats in 1701 games, finishing up with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1990.
I never even realized he made it that far to be honest!

 

"CLASSIC BASEBALL" CUSTOM WTHBALLS SET: REGGIE JACKSON

Good day everyone!

On the blog today, we go and add "Mr. October" Reggie Jackson to my custom WTHBALLS "Classic Baseball" set, which should see the light of day later this year in multiple series:

I chose a beautiful posed shot of the man during his younger years while starting out with the Kansas City/Oakland A's, with nothing but a Hall of Fame career out in front of him.

Truly one of the eternal icons of the game, the man was just destined for baseball greatness since his days at Cheltenham High School in Pennsylvania.
Recruited by pro teams and colleges alike, he went on to Arizona State where he was actually on a football scholarship.
Of course we all know the story of the 1966 amateur draft, where the New York Mets held the #1 pick, and opted for high school catcher Steve Chilcott instead of who many considered the true #1 overall amateur, Jackson.
With the second pick, the Kansas City Athletics (later Oakland) picked the slugger and the rest is history, as he would eventually lead the organization to three straight championships between 1972-1974 before being traded in a blockbuster to the Baltimore Orioles where he’d play for one season in 1976.
As a highly coveted free agent before the 1977 season, Jackson signed with the New York Yankees, and with Reggie in NYC, the legend exploded as he helped the Yankees to two championships in 1977-78.
With his larger than life persona, New York ate it up and before you knew it, he was known around the world, even getting his own candy-bar by the end of the decade.
For a kid like me growing up in Brooklyn in the ‘70’s, Reggie was like a God, larger than life, and before he finished up his career in 1987, putting in 21 seasons, he would put together a Hall of Fame career with 563 homers, 1702 runs batted in, an MVP Award in 1973, and five championships.
Add to that 14 all-star nods, four home run titles, a legendary homer in the 1971 All-Star Game against Dock Ellis, his 1977 World Series performance, and you can see why he goes down as one of the most well-known baseball personalities the game has ever seen!

 

1960S "IN-ACTION": 1967 JUAN MARICHAL

Today on the blog, a fun 1967 "In-Action" card for the "Dominican Dandy" Juan Marichal, from my Series 2 "1960s In-Action" set to be released next week:

The man was born to pitch!

Once called up to the big show in 1961, he would go 6-2 over his first 11 starts, with a 2.66 ERA and six complete games, including a shutout in his 1st MLB start.
As much as Marichal is celebrated as an all-time pitching legend, you still have to feel for the guy when you consider the timing of all his banner years in the big leagues.
In 1963 he has his breakout year, going 25-8 with a 2.41 E.R.A., but takes a back seat to another guy who has a breakout year, Sandy Koufax.
In 1966 he wins 25 games again, but again takes a backseat to a now dominating Koufax, who wins 27 along with a bunch of other eye-popping numbers.
In 1968 he sets a career high of 26 wins to go along with a 2.43 earned run average, but wait, a guy named Bob Gibson has a year for the ages, winning both the Cy Young Award and the M.V.P.
But when you look at the decade as a whole, there wasn't a better pitcher in the game from 1960-1969, as Marichal went on to win 191 games, winning 25 or more wins three times, post seven sub-3.00 E.R.A. seasons,  top 200+ strikeouts six times , and get selected as an all-star every year between 1962-1969.
What a BEAST on the mound!
Easily would have been the first 3-time Cy Young winner if not for Koufax and Gibson.
Ah well, I’m sure his spot in Cooperstown makes it a bit easier to take.

"Dominican Dandy" indeed!

1960S ALL-DECADE TEAM: N.L. SHORTSTOP MAURY WILLS

Good day everyone!

On the blog today, my pick for the National League's top shortstop of the 1960s, Los Angeles Dodgers speedster Maury Wills:

While no one really dominated the position over the decade, I went with the stolen base machine, who did everything the Dodgers could have hoped for.

It's not like it was a pity-pick though, as Wills really did have a good decade, leading the league in steals six straight years between 1960-65, with a high of 104 that took the baseball world by storm in 1962, leading to his Most Valuable Player Award.

He also finished in third for M.V.P. in 1965, when he stole 94 bases to go along with his 186 hits and 92 runs scored for Los Angeles. 

During the decade Wills topped 170 hits seven times, with a high of 208 in 1962 (even though that total didn't get him a .300 batting average because of his 695 at-bats in 165 games!).

All that contributed to the Dodgers making three World Series appearances, taking home two titles in 1963 and 1965, while he was named to seven All-Star teams in addition to being awarded two Gold Gloves.

Not too shabby.